Retaining means for toilet seat covers



Nov. 18, 1947. E. H LUNDGREN I RETAINING MEANS FOR TOILET SEAT COVERS Filed Jan. 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 18, 1947. E. H. LUNDGREN 2,431,263

RETAINING MEANS FOR TOILET SEAT COVERS Filed Jan. 18, 1945 ZSheets-Sheet 2 In um to r [5-12 27 Zandjre n Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICEI'I RETAINING MEANS FOR TOILET SEAT COVERS Eric H. Lundgren, Oakland, Calif.

Application January 18, 1945, Serial No. 573,349

7 Claims.

This invention relates to structurally novel and 7 improved hinging and attaching means for a conventional toilet seat'and an associated cover, for said seat, and the primary purpose of the invention is to provide simple and expedient safety means whereby it is possible to temporarily lock and retain the cover and seat assembly in a closed position, this under predetermined circumstances.

It is a matter of common knowledge that small children often throw toys and many and different types of articles and objects into toilet bowls. Thus, the water discharge line is clogged or completely stopped up. In an effort to prevent such nuisances, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide reliable and fool-proof means whereby the lid or cover can be fastened and locked whenever necessary or desired, in a closed position.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention, I have evolved and produced simple lug-equipped hinge brackets on the cover, the lugs being adapted to coact with projectible and retractible detents, said detents being carried by spring-projected, manually released latch devices, the latter slidably mounted in a special sheathlike tube which is employed to hingedly attach the seat and lid to the stock or standard bowl.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a portion of a bowl, a seat, a cover for the latter, and structural means which I have expressly devised to lock and unlock said cover.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the bowl, seat and cover, with portions of the invention broken away and shown in section, the latter being about on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar View, this to show the manner in which the locking and unlocking means functions.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the manually controlled latches.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of one end of the slotted tube, the latter rotated to a position to show the slot and keeper notches.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be seen that the bowl or hopper is denoted by the numeral 6, the seat at I and the lid or cover at 8. The numerals 9 designate the adapter fixtures bolted to the extension shelf 0n the hopper, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. These are the customary fixtures, and in the present instance include ring-like bearings Ill, said bearings serving to accommodate the projecting end portions of a horizontal tube II. This tube serves as a housing for the enclosed mechanism and also as a fixed journal for the seat and cover hinges. The end portions of said tube H are fixed in the adapter eyes ID by assembling and retaining pins I2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Closing plugs I4 are fitted into the slotted ends I6 of the tube. The slots I6 are provided at spaced points (see Figures 1 and 5) with longitudinally spaced notches I1 and I8 which constitute' selectively usable inner and outer keeper seats. A pair of latch devices of the type shown in Figure 4, are employed, these being denoted by thenumerals'lfi, each latch device comprising a slidable pin or rod 20 having an L-shaped detent or retainer 2 I at one end and a lateral finger grip, suitably knobbed, as at 22, this at the opposite end. These latches are slidably mounted in opposite end portions of the slotted tube II and are pressed away from one another by a central coiled spring 23 which is interposed therebetween, as shown in Figure 1.

The toilet seat I is provided with appropriately shaped attaching brackets 24 having caps 25 fitting over the ends of the tube I I and constituting appropriate hinges for said seat. The seat, as usual, hinges independently of the cover 8. The cover is also provided with similar brackets 26 and these are formed with hinge rings 21 which embrace the tube II. Thus, the tube serves as a pintle for the respective brackets 24 and 25. It

will be noted that the hinge-rings 21 are provided with integral radial lugs 28 and these constitute stops. Then too, the aforementioned shiftable detents 2| are suitably arranged and are thus engageable with the stop lugs.

When the cover 8 is-unlocked and free to swing, the latch devices I9 are in the retracted positions seen in Figure 1. Thus, the detents are then disengaged from the coacting rotatable lugs 28. When however, it is desired to lock the cover in closed position, the finger-grips 22 are grasped, lifted up and disengaged from the keeper notches I 8, whereupon the spring means 23 comes into play and forces the respective rods 20 and their detents 2I underneath the lugs 28. The fingergrips 22 are then rocked down and seated in the keeper notches Il, whereby to lock the latches and to, in turn, lock the cover. The cover is thus closed and retained in closed position to prevent while the lugs 28 and detents 2| do the locking-W" A careful consideration of the foregoing deescription in conjunction with the invention @51 illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding andimpression of the alleged features of meritiand noveltysuflicient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed. Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrane mentbf 1 parts m ybe 1 r so ted 1 to winp a tual practice so long asw-no ;,departure ;is made fromitheiillventionas claimed.

gliclaim:

In..-a1strnctureof:the;cl lSs:deSGribQ a t i bowl, a. pair; .of, fixturesvmounted ithereon a tubulanrod .rnountedin said :fixtures,;a toilet seat, brackets carried by :saidlsea .z aid brackets terminatinelinmaps, said caps fit ing hin dlyqwe the; adjacentouter: ends; of ;sald;-:tubul ar;rod, a;l id forming... icover for-gsaldsseat, said lid;;being providedewithubrackets, saidybrackets;terminating in hingesrings, and said ;hin ge -rlngs surrounding saidatubular remand-being ;.p.I'.QVided with outstandinezstop 1ues,:a d latch. deviee m u te said iIDd and having detents ;e a bly rengaga able with the. lugs. a :2; a stni turepf.thecl s s ib d in 9 'b na ion, 1a ::-h0p a pai 9 dap lfi t ther.e.on,.-ag-tnbular 1rod :rnountedhorizontally in said @d%1 .tr;fi tll -8S,i seakh n e ly c n c ed .with=saiditr o'd, a noverifor saidqseat havingbrackjets; formed :With: hinges hingedly connected with s id rod, .-s id hi ees sh vin outst nd n u s, 'and za pair: ofsfinger le i qu npe et devices slidably ;mounted in; said :rod and plj vidgd. with detents engageable with said lugs.

' 23-: In str ture .Qfthe c ass described! in ombination, 111a :hopper, :a :pai :o -adapt r fixtures thereon, .a :tubular rod mounted hQIiZOIjltaHy in said-adapter fixtures, a ,seat 'hingedly connected :with saidsrod, aoover for saidseat zhaving braclgets riormed with .hinges-h ns d1y; c nnected with said rod, aid hinges having outstanding Jugs, and a pair of ifingergrip-equipped latch deviees SIidably-mounted in. said rodand provided with detents iengageable withsaid llugs,v togetherwvith springmeansiin .said tubular rod :interposed'between :the :latch devices.

4.sIn .a. structuralassemblage 10f stile;- classdescribed, a tubular journalforming rg'd, and;means .for' mountingsame on a hQpPe-l,.=said rod being provided with longitudinalsslots, said slots l' aving keeper. note-hes formed therein, ,'a;;cover, bra et connected .withsaid .cover, said-brapkets having k,

hinge stings-surroundingthe end portions otthe 1nd,; said hinge rings pbeine 1;;m0rided with I .out-

4 standing stop lugs, a pair of latches slidably mounted in said rod, said latches having springpressed plunger pins, and said pins being provided with outstanding lateral elements, one of said elements constituting a detent engageable with the adjacent lug, and the other element a fingergrip.

5. In a structural assemblage of the class described, --a tollet bowl,; a;.pair of Jhinge rod supporting and accommodation fixtures rigidly mounted on said bowl, a rod fixedly mounted in said fixtures and disposed in parallelism above the -adj-acent surface of said bowl, a toilet seat for said bowl, brackets carried by and projecting from the rear end of said seat and hingedly connect- --ed-with said-rod, a lid forming a cover for said 7 -se at,v.br ackets.mounted on said lid, said brackets "terminating in'hinge rings surrounding said rod and .provided with stop lugs, and latch devices slidably supported by said rod and having dew tents ireleasabl .eneaeeabl wit said lu s.

1 16- n-ast uctura ;.assemblae o th lassnee ser be a t ilet owl, 1 4 1 3 o hineerodlsupportin van .-.a 0mm dati0 fixtur ri ly -m9lln ed-..Q esaid w a rod fi edl mq ntechiri said fixt re .-.,an di posed in p rallelism above theadiwm u iace of s i an .a to let sea iq .sh wlw -a ket tca ed by a dproiectine i .m therea l l eo s diseatandhingemy o necte sw t lsai rod ac i donn n a o e i r sai eat br ket mou te on sai id, said ra et sterminetme. in hinge in s s rro ndin 5 rod-an de wi s o ussand manutrolled :pr ojecta ble and retractable latch i a qar ie z qy s id-ro ,fo tempo a yhold- Wh neve i l e nosi n a ins hesewhen saidseat is .againstthe bowl, said la toh means being releasably engageable with said lugs.-

1 n ia t lwtl ia .a seemb ae o the l s described, -a toiletflaowl, a pair of fixtures rigidly m i n eda sa d l s a an lid pp t n and, ta hin r d ;mo m herizontally and fixedly in ;said fixtures a toilet seat co-acting .with said bowl, brackets-rigidly mounted on said cap-s fitting lnn .dlyover-pthe; outer ends of said i od adid-form ng a cover .for saidseat, additional brackets mounted onsald lid, said brackets rm na in i r1 @r n a in nes-surrounding said rod, said hinge rings beingprovided withnlatch;accommodating elements, and latches carrled -by said rod and :releasably engageable with said elements.

., ERICH. n nqaEN.

.BEEERENCES CITED The followin=;references ,are -of record..:in the fi-leofgthis patentz om'rnn TES PATENTS 

